O objetivo desta dissertação é debater o lugar e importância dos elementos de origem católica nas práticas políticas no reino do Congo nas ultima quatro décadas do século XVIII. Evitamos lidar com tais elementos através de uma ideia de simples incorporação passiva ou imposição cultural, que seria um equivoco tratando-se da complexidade do processo histórico do reino do Congo. Nosso olhar direciona-se para a agência histórica dos congoleses, sobretudo das elites políticas ligadas ao poder central, assim como local (das províncias). O material que a pesquisa analisa são três relatórios redigidos por missionários que habitaram e trabalharam no Congo, em diferentes contextos, durante as quatro ultimas décadas do século XVIII. Além dessas fontes mais consistentes, dispomos de alguns documentos mais fragmentários, principalmente correspondências trocadas entre agentes das missões, autoridades congolesas e autoridades lusitanas em Luanda e no reino de Portugal. Ao empreendermos o trabalho histórico com as fontes notamos a centralidade dos elementos do cristianismo (africanizados e incorporados no contexto congolês) no funcionamento do complexo sistema político operante no período pós-restauração. Neste contexto, os sacramentos, insígnias, especialistas, rituais católicos tornam-se importantes ferramentas para a rememoração da tradição política do período da centralização, no qual se fundou a vinculação entre catolicismo e o poder político no Congo. / The objective of this work is to discuss the importance of the Catholicism in 18th century Kingdom of Kongo political system. We avoid dealing with those elements through an idea of cultural imposition or simple incorporation, which would be a mistake when we deal with the complexity of the historical process in Kongo. We focus on the African agency on the historical process, mainly the political elites acting in central or provincial powers. The research analyzes three reports written by catholic missionaries who lived and worked in Kongo in the last four decades of the 18th century. Besides these (more consistent) sources, we analyze a few other documents: mainly letters exchanged by Congolese authorities, missionaries and Portuguese authorities in Luanda and Lisbon. In our historical research we note the central importance of the catholic elements (Africanized and incorporated to the Congolese context) to the functioning of the operating political system of the post-restoration period. Our proposition does not focus on the Catholicism in a context of the missions or the cultural contacts between Europeans and Africans. Beyond that discussion; we choose to look to the Catholic elements as insights to understand the political practices and the solidification of a Congolese political identity. In this context; the catholic rituals, sacraments, specialists and insignia are seen as important tools of re-memorization of the political tradition that connected Catholicism and political power in the Kingdom of Kongo.

O objetivo desta dissertação é debater o lugar e importância dos elementos de origem católica nas práticas políticas no reino do Congo nas ultima quatro décadas do século XVIII. Evitamos lidar com tais elementos através de uma ideia de simples incorporação passiva ou imposição cultural, que seria um equivoco tratando-se da complexidade do processo histórico do reino do Congo. Nosso olhar direciona-se para a agência histórica dos congoleses, sobretudo das elites políticas ligadas ao poder central, assim como local (das províncias). O material que a pesquisa analisa são três relatórios redigidos por missionários que habitaram e trabalharam no Congo, em diferentes contextos, durante as quatro ultimas décadas do século XVIII. Além dessas fontes mais consistentes, dispomos de alguns documentos mais fragmentários, principalmente correspondências trocadas entre agentes das missões, autoridades congolesas e autoridades lusitanas em Luanda e no reino de Portugal. Ao empreendermos o trabalho histórico com as fontes notamos a centralidade dos elementos do cristianismo (africanizados e incorporados no contexto congolês) no funcionamento do complexo sistema político operante no período pós-restauração. Neste contexto, os sacramentos, insígnias, especialistas, rituais católicos tornam-se importantes ferramentas para a rememoração da tradição política do período da centralização, no qual se fundou a vinculação entre catolicismo e o poder político no Congo. / The objective of this work is to discuss the importance of the Catholicism in 18th century Kingdom of Kongo political system. We avoid dealing with those elements through an idea of cultural imposition or simple incorporation, which would be a mistake when we deal with the complexity of the historical process in Kongo. We focus on the African agency on the historical process, mainly the political elites acting in central or provincial powers. The research analyzes three reports written by catholic missionaries who lived and worked in Kongo in the last four decades of the 18th century. Besides these (more consistent) sources, we analyze a few other documents: mainly letters exchanged by Congolese authorities, missionaries and Portuguese authorities in Luanda and Lisbon. In our historical research we note the central importance of the catholic elements (Africanized and incorporated to the Congolese context) to the functioning of the operating political system of the post-restoration period. Our proposition does not focus on the Catholicism in a context of the missions or the cultural contacts between Europeans and Africans. Beyond that discussion; we choose to look to the Catholic elements as insights to understand the political practices and the solidification of a Congolese political identity. In this context; the catholic rituals, sacraments, specialists and insignia are seen as important tools of re-memorization of the political tradition that connected Catholicism and political power in the Kingdom of Kongo.

Motivation | Societal and economic needs of East Africa rely entirely on the availability of water, which is governed by the regular onset and retreat of the rainy seasons. Fluctuations in the amounts of rainfall has tremendous impact causing widespread famine, disease outbreaks and human migrations. Efforts towards high resolution forecasting of seasonal precipitation and hydrological systems are therefore needed, which requires high frequency short to long-term analyses of available climate data that I am going to present in this doctoral thesis by three different studies. 15,000 years - Suguta Valley | The main study of this thesis concentrated on the understanding of humidity changes within the last African Humid Period (AHP, 14.8-5.5 ka BP). The nature and causes of intensity variations of the West-African (WAM) and Indian Summer monsoons (ISM) during the AHP, especially their exact influence on regional climate relative to each other, is currently intensely debated. Here, I present a high-resolution multiproxy lake-level record spanning the AHP from the remote Suguta Valley in the northern Kenya Rift, located between the WAM and ISM domains. The presently desiccated valley was during the AHP filled by a 300 m deep and 2200 km2 large palaeo-lake due to an increase in precipitation of only 26%. The record explains the synchronous onset of large lakes in the East African Rift System (EARS) with the longitudinal shift of the Congo Air Boundary (CAB) over the East African and Ethiopian Plateaus, as the direct consequence of an enhanced atmospheric pressure gradient between East-Africa and India due to a precessional-forced northern hemisphere insolation maximum. Pronounced, and abrupt lake level fluctuations during the generally wet AHP are explained by small-scale solar irradiation changes weakening this pressure gradient atmospheric moisture availability preventing the CAB from reaching the study area. Instead, the termination of the AHP occurred, in a non-linear manner due to a change towards an equatorial insolation maximum ca. 6.5 ka ago extending the AHP over Ethiopia and West-Africa. 200 years - Lake Naivasha | The second part of the thesis focused on the analysis of a 200 year-old sediment core from Lake Naivasha in the Central Kenya Rift, one of the very few present freshwater lakes in East Africa. The results revealed and confirmed, that the appliance of proxy records for palaeo-climate reconstruction for the last 100 years within a time of increasing industrialisation and therefore human impact to the proxy-record containing sites are broadly limited. Since the middle of the 20th century, intense anthropogenic activity around Lake Naivasha has led to cultural eutrophication, which has overprinted the influence of natural climate variation to the lake usually inferred from proxy records such as diatoms, transfer-functions, geochemical and sedimentological analysis as used in this study. The results clarify the need for proxy records from remote unsettled areas to contribute with pristine data sets to current debates about anthropologic induced global warming since the past 100 years. 14 years - East African Rift | In order to avoid human influenced data sets and validate spatial and temporal heterogeneities of proxy-records from East Africa, the third part of the thesis therefore concentrated on the most recent past 14 years (1996-2010) detecting climate variability by using remotely sensed rainfall data. The advancement in the spatial coverage and temporal resolutions of rainfall data allow a better understanding of influencing climate mechanisms and help to better interpret proxy-records from the EARS in order to reconstruct past climate conditions. The study focuses on the dynamics of intraseasonal rainfall distribution within catchments of eleven lake basins in the EARS that are often used for palaeo-climate studies. We discovered that rainfall in adjacent basins exhibits high complexities in the magnitudes of intraseasonal variability, biennial to triennial precipitation patterns and even are not necessarily correlated often showing opposite trends. The variability among the watersheds is driven by the complex interaction of topography, in particular the shape, length and elevation of the catchment and its relative location to the East African Rift System and predominant influence of the ITCZ or CAB, whose locations and intensities are dependent on the strength of low pressure cells over India, SST variations in the Atlantic, Pacific or Indian Ocean, QBO phases and the 11-year solar cycle. Among all seasons we observed, January-September is the season of highest and most complex rainfall variability, especially for the East African Plateau basins, most likely due to the irregular penetration and sensitivity of the CAB. / Motivation | Die sozialen und ökonomischen Bedürfnisse Ostafrikas sind in erster Linie von der Wasserverfügbarkeit abhängig, welche durch das regelmäßige Einsetzen der Regenzeiten bestimmt wird. Jegliche Veränderungen der Wasserverfügbarkeit innerhalb der Regenzeiten verursachen Hungersnöte, Ausbruch von Krankheiten oder auch Bevölkerungswanderungen. Klärung der Ursachen von Niederschlagsvariabilitäten erfordert die Auswertung von hochauflösenden Kurz- als auch Langzeitanalysen, welche ich in dieser Arbeit durch drei Studien präsentieren werde. 15,000 Jahre - Suguta Valley | Die Hauptstudie dieser Doktorarbeit befasste sich mit dem Verständnis von Feuchtigkeitsschwankungen innerhalb der Afrikanischen Feuchtperiode (AHP, 5.5 - 14.8 ka BP). In dieser Studie präsentiere ich einen hoch-auflösenden Seespiegel Datensatz aus dem abgeschiedenen, unbewohnten Suguta Tal im nördlichen Grabenbruch in Kenia. Das momentan extrem trockene Tal war während der AHP mit einem 300 m tiefen und 2200 km2 großen Paläo-See bedeckt, was aus nur 26% zusätzlichem Niederschlag resultierte. Diese Erhöhung wurde vermutlich aus der Kombination aus erhöhter atmosphärer Feuchteverfügbarkeit infolge erhöhter früh-Holozäner präzessionsgesteuerten Einstrahlung auf der nördlichen Hemisphere sowie der Verschiebung der feuchten Kongo Luftmassengrenze (CAB) ostwärts über das Ostafrikanische und Äthiopische Plateau erreicht als direkte Folge eines erhöhten atmosphärischen Druckgradienten. Abrupte, starkte Seespiegelschwankungen innerhalb der generellen Feuchtphase sind auf geringe Veränderungen in der solaren Ausstrahlung zurückzufühen, welche zu einer Schwächung des Druckgradienten führten und damit den Einfluss der CAB im Untersuchungsgebiet verhinderten zusammen mit einer allgemeinene Reduktion der atmosphärischen Feuchteverfügbarkeit. Das Ende der AHP erfolgte im Gegensatz dazu eher nicht-linear aufgrund des Wechsels zu einem äquatorialen Einstrahlungsmaximum vor 6.5 ka, welches die AHP in Äthiopien und West-Afrika verlängerte. 200 Jahre - Lake Naivasha | Der zweite Teil dieser Arbeit konzentrierte sich auf die Analyse eines Sedimentkern des Naivasha See aus dem zentralen Kenia Rift über die letzten 200 Jahre, einem der wenigen Frischwasserseen in Ostafrika. Die natürliche Klimavariabilität sollte mittels Proxy-Datensätzen von Diatomeen, Transferfunktionen, geochemischen und sedimentologischen Analysen in dieser Studie aufgedeckt werden. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass seit Mitte des 20. Jahrhundert der zunehmende Einfluss des Menschen um den Naivasha See zu kultureller Eutrophierung geführt, welche den Einfluss der natürlichen Klimavariabilität auf den See überprägte. Die Gründe liegen in der Zeit, welche von steigender Industrialisierung und deshalb erhöhtem menschlichen Einfluss auf die Proxy-Daten enthaltenden Seen geprägt ist. Die Ergebnisse verdeutlichen die Notwendigkeit von Proxy-Daten aus unbesiedelten Gebieten, wenn man ,reine‘ Daten zur momentanen Debatte über den anthropogen gesteuerten Klimawandel der letzten 100 Jahre beitragen will. 14 Jahre - Ostafrikanisches Rift | Um räumliche Unregelmäßigkeiten in Proxy-Daten von Ostafrika richtig zu verstehen, konzentrierte sich der dritte Teil dieser Arbeit auf die Auswertung von ausschließlich fernerkundlich erworbenen heutigen, täglichen Niederschlagsreihen (1996-2010). Dies erlaubt ein besseres Verständnis über die möglichen klimatischen Einflussmechanismen und die Abschätzung ihres Einflusses auf die Paläo-Variabilität. Die Studie beschäftigt sich mit der Dynamik saisonaler Niederschlagsverteilung innerhalb der Einzugsgebiete von elf Seebecken im Ostafrikanischen Riftsystem, welche oft für Paläo-Klimastudien benutzt werden. Die Studie ergab, dass Niederschläge in angrenzenden Becken tatsächlich höchst unterschiedlich in ihrer Intensität sein können und dabei zwei- bis dreijährigen Niederschlagsmuster folgen oder sogar gegensätzliche Trends zeigen. Die Variabilität der einzelnen Seebecken wird durch die komplexe Wechselwirkung der Topographie, Form, Länge und Höhe des Einzugsgebietes, der relativen Lage im EARS, sowie dem Einfluss und Intensität der ITCZ und CAB bestimmt, welche z.B. abhängig von der Entwicklung besonders starker Tiefdruckgebiet über Indien, Veränderungen der Meeres-oberflächentemperaturen, QBO und dem 11-Jahres Sonnenzyklus sind. Im direkten Vergleich aller untersuchten Monate stellte sich heraus, dass Juli-September die Jahreszeit mit komplexester Niederschlagsvariabilität ist, besonders für die Becken des Ostafrikanischen Plateau, was durch den unregelmäßigen Einfluss der CAB verursacht wird.

Thesis (doctoral) - Universität, Bonn. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 259-268).

Syftet med denna uppsats är att studera hur generalsekreterarens roll i FN har utvecklats i situationer som hotar fred och säkerhet. Uppsatsen jämför hur förutsättningarna har utvecklats från då Dag Hammarskjöld hade posten fram till idag, med Kofi Annan som generalsekreterare. Uppsatsen bygger på den hermeneutiska metoden där texttolkning ligger till grund för analysen. De stora prövningarna för de båda generalsekreterarna har varit konflikten i Kongo respektive konflikten i Irak. Generalsekreterarens intressen påverkar vilka delar av arbetet som denne kommer att prioritera. Både Dag Hammarskjöld och Kofi Annan har sett de fredsbevarande operationerna som ett viktigt ämnesområde och har arbetat för att utveckla dessa. Ett antal faktorer som påverkar generalsekreterarens förutsättningar till agerande tas upp i uppsatsen. Det internationella systemet är den faktor som mest har påverkat möjligheterna att agera. För Dag Hammarskjöld var det en balansgång att kunna agera under kalla kriget. Generalsekreteraren skulle arbeta på ett neutralt sätt utan att stöta sig med någon av stormakterna. För Kofi Annan har det varit viktigt att ha ett bra samarbete med den ensamma stormakten i dagens internationella system, USA. Det finns likheter mellan de båda generalsekreterarna men som nämnts ovan skiljer sig deras förutsättningar till agerande åt på flera punkter. Det är det internationella systemet som mest påverkat deras förutsättningar till agerande och det är även denna faktor som skiljer sig mest mellan de båda generalsekreterarna.

This thesis investigates the ways in which the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden could influence the Swedish Foreign Aid Policy for NGOs, with particular focus on financial support for their missionary activities. Furthermore, it investigates how the church’s involvement in the emerging Foreign Aid Policy work, and its relationship with the government agency NIB/SIDA during the years 1964-1980, influenced the church’s own policy-making. Using Mahoney, Streeck and Thelen’s concept of gradual change and Bourdieu’s theory of habitus this thesis investigates the influence the relationship had on 1) the Aid policy 2) MCCS: s evangelical mission. The results of this thesis indicate that the government agency’s original demand for a Foreign Aid work neutral from religious or political influence changed into a policy embracing missionary organisations. The results also indicate a change in the priority of the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden’s mission methods with the church prioritising social work over evangelisation. This study aims in general to deepen the knowledge of the NGOs involved in the Swedish Foreign Aid in order to further the understanding of their influence on the Foreign Aid Policy as well as their methods to remain uninfluenced in return.

Ansamling av amyloid beta (Aβ) i de extracellulära miljöerna är associerad till många svåra sjukdomar som Alzheimers och ålders-relaterad makuladegeneration (AMD). Amyloider karaktäriseras av att de är olösliga, toxiska mot neuron och orsakar därför svår skada. AMD är den ledande orsaken till blindhet och irreversibelt förlorande av skarp syn då Aβ manifesterar i makula. I AMD orsakar Aβ inflammatorisk aktivitet där det retinala pigmentepitelet bryts ned och ljuskänsliga fotoreceptorer dör genom apoptos. Idag lever ca 150 miljoner människor med AMD där mänga har svårt att utföra vardagliga uppgifter till följd av förlust av skarp syn. Idag är Kongo röd en av de vanligaste metoderna för att visualisera amyloider in vitro. Den patogenes som orsakas av amyloider kan analyseras med immunofluorescens och immunohistokemi. Syftet med studien var att undersöka förekomst av amyloider i samband med celldöd i näthinna från gris, undersöka den patogenes som amyloider orsakar med immunofluorescens och immunohistokemi, samt undersöka om det finns korrelation mellan amyloider och celldöd. Resultatet visade att amyloider var förekommande i näthinnan och hade orsakat celldöd och ansamling av aggresomer. Amyloider och den patologi som orsakats kunde visualiseras i det yttre lagret av näthinnan. / Deposition of amyloid beta (Aβ) in the extracellular environment are associated to some severe diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Amyloids are characterized by insolubility, toxicity towards neuron and are there-for damaging to tissues. AMD is the primary cause of blindness and irreversible loss of central vision through manifestation of Aβ in the macula. In AMD, Aβ drives an inflammatory action that degenerates the retinal pigment epithelium and cause atrophy of photoreceptors. Today ~150 million people live with AMD where many find difficulties performing everyday tasks due to loss of sharp vision. Congo red is a gold standard for visualizing amyloids in vitro and the pathogenesis caused by amyloids can be analyzed by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. The purpose of this study was to show the presence of amyloids relating to cell death in pig retina, show the pathogenesis caused by amyloids by using immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry, and investigate whether there is correlation between amyloids and cell death. The result showed that amyloids were present in the retina and caused cell death and gathering of aggresomes. Amyloids and the caused pathology could be visualized in the outer layer of the retina.

The goal of this diploma thesis is to analyse the trend of foreign direct investment into mining industry in Africa. In this thesis, I focus solemnly on the extraction of minerals, excluding the oil and gas industry. The analysis looks at the FDI from a historical perspective in the new millennium up to the current situation, which is characteristic for low commodity prices, which subsequently depress the activities of mining corporations. Furthermore, the important part of the thesis is also the projection of future development of FDI, the analysis of the correlation between commodity prices and FDI development and the research of African investment environment. A brief case study regarding the real-life foreign direct investment into copper mining projects in Democratic Republic of the Congo is carried out in the end of this thesis. In this case study I present details about this project, however, also the professional opinion of co-head of mining division at Trafigura, Emmanuel Henry, on the investment environment in Africa in regard to the mining industry and his feelings about the future development of the investment.

Diplom thesis discusses a question of influence of mineral resources on politics and economics in chosen countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. The paradox of low economic development of many resource rich countries significantly engaged in international trade is often discussed by economic experts. I decided to focus on Sub-Saharan Africa because I consider this region to be unable to fully use its potential for economic development despite being very rich in natural resources.Target of this thesis is to find out which natural resources exist in chosen countires, how the countries manage them, how successfull their economic development is, which problems they currently handle and how their current situation is related to their historic, cultural and politic background. For the purpose of my thesis I have chosen Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and Botswana.

The thesis concers the issue of conflict minerals in the Democratic republic of Congo. The situation in the country has been monitored by the NGO Global Witness for decades. Human rights violation, illicit trade followed by exporting of minerals out of the country, have been supervised by militaristic rebel groups. As a result these groups have been indirectly founded by international corporations.The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the performance of Global Witness at the agenda setting of conflict minerals, including a critical assessment of legislative measures.